Ready:
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." – Matthew 5:6
Set:
In a game or match, you know how it feels when an official errs in a way that negatively affects you, your team and perhaps the outcome. It bothers you. Why do you react strongly to injustice in competition? Because you believe you and your team should be treated according to the right standards and in the right way.
Do you have a similar response to injustice beyond the sports arena? In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus teaches about the blessings of His kingdom. He says in Matthew 5:6 that “those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” experience these blessings. When we live under King Jesus’ reign through faith in Him, His righteous character influences how we act, how we treat other people, how we view what is happening around us and even how we approach our sport.
What does it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness? It’s to desire the Lord’s good intent for every person and to treat each person according to God’s right standards and right way. It’s to choose to speak and act as Christ would in each situation. When we hunger for righteousness, we’re bothered by injustice—and we’re willing to be an advocate for those facing injustice.
To live this out in the sports arena and other areas of life, we must stay focused on Jesus, our righteous King. The more we joyfully live under Jesus’ righteous rule through our relationship with Him, the more we grow in His righteous character, see people and situations as He does, choose His righteousness in our words and actions, and influence others for His kingdom values. Jesus promises that when we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we will be filled. As we pursue righteousness and work to remedy injustice here and now, we’re building toward what Jesus will eventually make real when He returns. We’ll one day experience the full joy and contentment of living in the righteous kingdom of our Lord.
Go:
In what areas of your sport and life do you need to grow in hungering and thirsting for righteousness?
Think about what it would look like to speak, act, and relate to others according to Jesus’ righteous character in the setting of your sport. What is one next step you can take to pursue this by Christ’s grace?
Workout:
Overtime:
“Lord, I praise You because You are righteous and just. Stir in me a deeper hunger for righteousness that honors You. I pray for Your grace to approach my sport and every area of my life with words, actions and interactions that reflect Your righteous character. Amen.”